The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1887-06-08

boat scarce fifty feet from rs. il her
were Karen and Anton, Nils and Martha,
dead and white, and there, huge, naked
and terrible, stood the steerslnan, with
sea green hair and beard blowing wildly
about his frightful head.
With Inenacing gesture he pointed to
the spike Of fish spear sticking between
his shoulders. nearly tainted. Elias
ceased praying. BY the ghastly light
now SO near Us I could see his face. II
was that Of q wild beast at bay, despair
ing but ferocious.
Drawing his long knife, he muttered !:
III know you, know you If spear
can pierce your back, this may reach
your heart. 4
sElias!'' / shrieked, that was Oh
land. What would you do2'
End this, one way or other, = he
shouted. TO the sheet, fooll'' and he
put up the helm. I trimmed the sail
close, lasfby instinct, and we flew to run
down oHr pursuer. was now desperate,
too, and grasping the boathook, stood
ready to strike.
just as we seemed aboard of the mer-
man another wave swept over u.s.; q felt
our boat sink from under me. Even
through the rush Of the water heard
wild shrieks and shouts of fendish
laughter, and knew no more until ]
found myself clinging with . death grip
to the unsubmerged rail Of our wrecked
boat, whose heavy mast and spread sail
alone prevented her from capsizing COM
pletely.
The black cloud was gone, the mer-
man was gone, the four boys. we're gone,
but I saw Elias caught between the boom
and the toppenlift. It was showing;
the wind and the sea were dis fierce as
ever, but it was no longer SO dark. I
managed to reach Elias and drag him up
beside me, holding him with one arm,
while with the other clung to the rail,
resting my feet on the combing Of the
hatch. I thought him dead, but soon he
moved and sighed.
Courage, y / said; 1.-THE norman is
gone. You will live.
No, Bernt,n he answered, weakly.
HGod is too good to let the fend carry
his revenge so far as that: I am dying;
you will be saved. You are not of my
blood. I shall soon be with Karen and
the children"
He was silent for awhile. Then he
whispered, brokenly: ssBernt, remem-
Der All four you and elsa all. 4
I held him. as strongly as I could. Sud
denly q look5of joy Lit up his white face.
Stretching out his arms, hecried: Eyes,
Karen, am coming" He Wrenched
himself free from my weakened hold,
and fell backward into the sea.
/ supposed tainted then, for when I
was again conscious, two days after, I
was ii my bed at Kralholm, with Elsa
bending over me. She had found me on
that fatal evening, lying drowned, as she
then thought, on the beach, whittier she
had gone to meet us all. AS the weather
had been perfect all day, every one sup
posed that Elias and his family had for
some reason remained over at Ranen, and
that I, returning alone in some small
boat in order to be with Elsafor our
courtship was secret had thxough some
accident, fallen overheard.
N When told the dreadful truth they
did not believe mo. When on inquiry
lhey learned that we had sailed from
Ranen, as I had said, when nothing more
was heard Of Elias, when the wreck Of
the new ten cared boast was cast ashore
on the rocks of Landspoint Island and all
could see that she had no cross tarred
upon her stern, they were convinced,
and proper funeral services were held for
the drowned.
" Elsa and T were married. Elias's
savings made us rich. We bought this
farm, and neither Of US has ever been in
a boat since, nor ever will be. 49, From
t.4Nrs. Heptaestus